Dog Days of Summer: Cool Home Decorating Ideas
September 2, 2014
Gimme shelter is my mid-August mantra. Spring, fall and winter, I crave the outdoors, but summer is the time to enjoy the friendly, air-conditioned confines of the house, condo or your favorite retail establishment like Robb & Stucky. It’s a perfect time to see your interiors with fresh eyes and
embrace household projects that (rightly) sink to the bottom of the to-do list when it’s blue-skied and seventy-degrees outside.
My first two recommendations go hand-in-hand: Edit and organize. Robb & Stucky is passionately committed to Habitat for Humanity. If you’re searching for a happy home for unwanted furniture, clothes and household items as a beat-the-heat, indoor project strategy, remember our friends at the Lee County Habitat for Humanity. Call 239-652-0434 for full details.
Next, once you’ve thoughtfully edited your belongings, separating the wheat from the chaff, think about organization and presentation. Curio cabinets and étagères are great ways to display collectibles. Start styling! Clustering items by theme or color is a perfect sunny day pastime.
Summer is Southwest Florida’s version of winter Up North. Thus, it’s a great time to think about hibernation, and that takes us into the bedroom. When did you last replace your mattress? Be honest! If you wake up stiff and achy, maybe it’s not the weather that’s making you grumpy. It might be time to take a hard look at your soft mattress. While every individual is different, The Better Sleep Council recommends a new mattress every seven years.
If you bought a mattress over seven years ago, you’re in for some delightful surprises. There have been some amazing advances in mattress technology. Robb & Stucky’s prestigious Royall & Borden mattress lineup leads the way with the latest memory-foam and cool-gel technology – perfect for sultry summer nights. Robb & Stucky’s expertly trained sleep consultants also have a light touch. They’re on hand to help you find the right sleep system in a relaxed, no-pressure environment. It’s hot enough outside! We’re passionate about what we do at Robb & Stucky, but our attitude is cool and congenial.
My final dog-days-of-summer survival strategy is this: Binge TV. Before you shut the drapes and grab the remote, consider your viewing area. Is it cozy? Will it sustain you through a complete season of House of Cards, Mad Men or Downton Abbey? Of course, these are the must-see TV shows the rest of the country watched with rapt attention over the winter while we were all frolicking on the beach.
Robb & Stucky’s expertise is comfortable, stylish seating options, great for conversation, reading and TV marathons. Perhaps there’s a recliner in your future. Robb & Stucky’s selection has come a l-o-n-g way from Granny’s recliners of yore.
For group viewing, the whole family can stretch out on leather sectional. Surprisingly, leather is the perfect upholstery material for our climate as it actually “breathes” and keeps you cool as the TV dramas (and outside temps) reach a fevers pitch.
Floridians, time is on our side. Labor Day is a sweet sixteen days away. It’s all down hill from there as we coast into beautiful, sunny fall and winter. In the meantime, stay cool and stay inside.
ABOUT MARK STUART: People impressed and inspired by the Robb & Stucky
showroom often wonder where we get our ideas. Meet our creative mastermind Mark Stuart, a Florida transplant from Indiana. As Robb & Stucky Creative Director, Mark is responsible for the floor plan and visual display of all Robb & Stucky stores. In his spare time, he also shops the world for accessories and engages with our amazing buying team on wood and upholstery selections so our stores enchant as a unified, beautiful experience.
